Circuit boards may be utilized in a variety of electrical apparatus. For example, circuit boards may be utilized in computing devices for supporting and/or electrically connecting a plurality of electrical components such as, for example, processor(s), transistor(s), capacitor(s), and/or inductor(s). Also, circuit boards may be utilized in lighting fixtures for supporting and/or electrically connecting a plurality of electrical components such as, for example, LED(s), processor(s), capacitor(s), and/or inductor(s). In certain implementations, it may be desirable to make circuit boards that are flame-retardant and/or shock-resistant or shock-preventive.
More particularly, it may be desirable to make flame-retardant and/or shock-preventive circuit boards in the field of lighting in order to meet certain safety goals and/or achieve certain safety standards related to lighting fixtures. As an example, standards employed by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) for Class 1 Luminaires require a certain level of flame-retardant, fire enclosure, and/or shock-preventive characteristics from a circuit board of a lighting fixture. Methods utilized in the lighting fixture field to conform to such UL norms (and/or to achieve other safety standards or safety goals) include the use of a flame resistant meta-aramid material between the circuit board and lenses that are provided atop LEDs attached to the circuit board. Utilized methods may additionally or alternatively include the use of a flame-retardant material for the lenses that are provided atop LEDs attached to the circuit board. However, such methodologies have one or more drawbacks such as, for example, increased materials cost, increased labor costs, and/or increased complexity of the lighting fixture design.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a circuit board that provides satisfactory flame-retardant, fire enclosure, and/or shock-preventive characteristics while optionally overcoming one or more drawbacks of previous methods and apparatus.